Charlie Bone and the Hypnotist's Daughter
by Money Fairy311
Summary: Can Charlie Bone trust the new girl, Vanessa, who just started at Bloor's Academy? Vanessa is friends with Olivia, but she seems to get along well with Manfred. Could Vanessa be the hypnotist that can save the person in the hypnotizing stone? CH.6 is up!
1. Suspicions

Disclaimer: None of the original characters of Charlie Bone belong to me. They all belong to Jenny Nimmo. Only the made-up characters are mine.

Please read all THREE Charlie Bone books before reading my story.

The warm summer air was blowing down Filbert Street causing Charlie to forget his packing. Charlie didn't want to go back to school after spending a week at the Sparkling Castle. Benjamin was still in Hong Kong and the week at the Castle was a lot more fun then sitting at home would have been. Charlie really was not looking forward to another semester at Bloor's.

"Charlie are you done packing?" Grandma Bone called from downstairs.

Charlie groaned. He really didn't want to think about school again. He was afraid what kind of things would be in store for him this term. For some reason, Charlie hadn't led a normal life ever since he started Bloor's.

After packing all his belongings into his bag, Charlie decided to go to bed. He walked into his mother's bedroom and told her good night. When Charlie got in his own bed he fell right into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Charlie awoke, the next morning, from a loud smash. He jumped out of bed and ran down to the kitchen. A pile of glass lay on the floor and another argument was in session at number nine. Charlie thought the glass had come from his Uncle Paton, but seeing the light bulb still in its socket caused Charlie to think Grandma Bone could have gone to the extreme of throwing things.

Charlie never did get to find out what all the yelling was about because seeing the time he flew back upstairs and dressed himself, accidentally-on-purpose forgetting to put on his blue cloak and putting it under his arm. He snatched up his bag of things and raced out the door, waving a hurried goodbye to everyone in the kitchen.

Outside, the blue bus was already making its way to Charlie's stop. Running as fast as he could, Charlie tossed the cloak messily over his shoulders. The bus screeched to a halt and Charlie climbed aboard. Charlie made his way down the aisle and took his seat next to his beaming friend, Fidelio.

"Good break?" Fidelio asked.

"Of course," said Charlie remembering the hot days at Sparkling Castle.

Fidelio laughed. "I got a new violin," he added happily holding up his shiny, new case. Charlie nodded. Fidelio knew Charlie didn't really know anything about music and just went to Bloor's because of his endowment.

As the bus approached Bloor's, Charlie had a knot in the pit of his stomach. Nothing at Bloor's had made Charlie happy to be there. His memories there were not exactly welcoming.

Once out of the bus, Fidelio and Charlie made their way up to the entrance of the school. Olivia Vertigo came rushing up to them wearing large lime green boots and neon orange colored hair.

"Oh, I like the hair, Olivia," Fidelio called. She blew the orange hair out of her eyes and grinned.

"Thanks, Fido. I want you to meet someone," Olivia told them once she had caught up. She turned around and addressed the dazzlingly pretty girl that had been following her silently. "This is Vanessa."

Vanessa had long, mid-back length brown hair that sparkled gold in the sunlight. She was wearing all blue except for her purple cloak, which obviously meant she was in the drama department. She wasn't as pretty as Belle was, but Belle was not really who they thought she was and wasn't really a young girl at all. Charlie was also happy Vanessa's eyes stayed hazel and weren't changing. Vanessa looked older than Charlie and his friends, about sixteen.

The girl flashed a huge smile at the boys and said, "I take it this is Charlie and Fidelio."

"You're right," Olivia told her and pointed out which boy was which. The girl continued to smile as Olivia talked.

"Why are you bringing an instrument if you're in the drama department?" Fidelio suddenly burst out.

"Yes, I'm in the drama department, but I'm actually not very good at acting. I can play the flute, though, sort of well."

"Why aren't you in the music department then?" asked Fidelio.

"It doesn't really matter what department I'm in." She looked at Charlie with a more serious expression on her face and said, "I'm endowed."

Charlie coughed. "What?"

"Yes. Olivia told me you were endowed too," Vanessa said to Charlie. Charlie glared at Olivia. Vanessa noticed and said, "I was a bit touchy about my gift but now it's fine. I'm a hypnotist."

"Scary," Olivia said quietly.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to hypnotize you."

"Yes, but the head boy, Manfred Bloor, is a hypnotist. He's a bit scary," Charlie told her. He decided to leave out the part about Yolanda.

"Bloor?" Vanessa asked. "I'm not a descendant of the Bloors, or those Yewbeams either."

"So we're not related," Charlie muttered.

"I take it you're a Yewbeam," said Vanessa.

"Unfortunately."

"Quiet now. We can't talk in the halls," Fidelio informed Vanessa as they approached the doors. "Just follow Olivia."

Charlie and Fidelio waved goodbye to Olivia and her new friend. Charlie was suspicious of Vanessa. He didn't think Vanessa would turn out to be like Belle, but he was worried about her hypnotism gift. Olivia had already made friends with Vanessa and Charlie trusted Olivia's friends, so she couldn't be all that bad. Besides, as far as Charlie knew, Vanessa wasn't living with his aunts or anyone else that might be untrustworthy. He would have to ask her where she lived.

When assembly had finished, Charlie walked off to his tiring music lesson with Mr. Paltry-Winds. Charlie tried his best to play a bit on his trumpet, but as usual Charlie could barely play it.

"Out, Bone. Now." Mr. Paltry pointed a shaking finger at the door and Charlie happily left. Once in the garden for break, Fidelio and Charlie met up with Emma, Olivia, and Vanessa. Emma seemed to have already met Vanessa.

"I suppose I'll ask you two boys since I think you'll know best," Vanessa said to Charlie and Fidelio. "I have a music lesson with Mr. Paltry after break. Could you show me where it is?" Fidelio nodded and started a conversation with Vanessa about music. Charlie took this time to talk to Olivia and Emma.

"Too bad Vanessa has to stay in the senior girls dormitories," Olivia said. "She's really nice." Emma agreed by nodding. Charlie told them how he thought Vanessa seemed a lot like Belle. Olivia and Emma didn't agree. They said she didn't act like Belle one bit. Charlie knew this should have calmed him down because he trusted his friends' word, but he couldn't help but be suspicious. Charlie remembered that he was going to ask where Vanessa moved into and it seemed almost perfect timing that Fidelio and Vanessa finished their talk on music.

Charlie asked, "Where do you live, Vanessa?"

"I just moved in a week ago to a house up in the Heights. I live next to a girl named Zelda Dobinski who I heard goes to Bloor's too."

"Yeah, she does," said a voice from behind them. The little group turned to see Gabriel Silk, one of their friends.

"Hi, Gabriel," Olivia said enthusiastically. "This is Vanessa." Gabriel waved to her and she smiled. The hunting horn sounded to signal the end of break.

"Look for me after your flute lesson and I'll show you to the King's room," Charlie called after Vanessa. She nodded and trotted after Fidelio to the music room.

Once Charlie finished his history lesson, he walked down to the music room and waited for Vanessa. She didn't come out after 5 minutes and Charlie couldn't wait for her any longer. Manfred would get him if he were late.

When Charlie pulled open the door to the King's room, he knew his punishment was waiting. Charlie entered the King's room at least 10 minutes late. Surprisingly no one was sitting down. Charlie couldn't understand why Manfred had not forced everyone to sit, but then he noticed Manfred deep in conversation with Vanessa. Charlie walked up to her, she stopped talking to Manfred, and Charlie told her he had been waiting by the music room.

"Oh I'm so sorry, Charlie. I completely forgot. Manfred offered to bring me up and I came with him," Vanessa told him. After Charlie drew Vanessa's attention away from Manfred, he finally made then all sit.

Manfred stood up. "We have a new student," Manfred muttered quietly. "Vanessa Koyal."

At the mention of Vanessa's name Manfred turned pink and sat down quickly. Vanessa stood, gave everyone one of her beautiful smiles, and then sat next to Manfred. Zelda sat next to her looking very jealous.

Charlie was confused. Manfred seemed to like Vanessa, which meant that she wasn't some sort of hundred-year-old shape-shifter because if she was, Manfred would know about it and he wouldn't like an old lady. Vanessa might not be whom they thought she was if she got along perfectly fine with Charlie's enemy. Charlie was pondering this and looking up at the portrait of the Red King.

"Bone, your work?" said Manfred rudely but still more kind than usual.

"Yes. Sorry, Manfred," Charlie said and returned to his homework before Manfred had a reason to give him a detention. Saturday would be the perfect time to ask Uncle Paton a question and he couldn't ruin it by getting a detention.


	2. Aunt Venetia's Necklace

The next few days went by as close to normal as things could get at Bloor's. Friday approached slowly for everyone who wanted to be free from the academy walls. Olivia still had Vanessa as a friend. Charlie had told her about how Manfred had acted around Vanessa but she refused to listen to him. Charlie was sitting in the King's room when Manfred stood up to make an announcement.

Manfred cleared his throat. "We will be having an end-of-term dance at Bloor's at the end of this semester," He told them.

"WHAT?" Tancred shouted. "Here? Why are we doing that?"

"All," Manfred continued loudly ignoring Tancred, "the seniors must go."

"That's crazy," Tancred shouted again.

"Torrsen, shut up. I didn't plan it," the head boy told him. Tancred opened his mouth to say more but Lysander nudged him with his elbow and muttered, "Forget it."

"Juniors may go, but they must have a partner," Manfred said. "Back to work now."

Tancred was right. This was very unlike Bloor's to have a dance. Charlie wasn't sure he would be going. If Fidelio found a partner and wanted to go, Charlie would try to find a partner himself. Fidelio being unendowed, Charlie thought it would be much easier for his friend to find someone to go with.

After they left the King's room, Charlie made his way down to his next class. He couldn't keep his mind on history and got a few questions wrong. Charlie wanted to get out to break and talk to Fidelio.

Once he got out the garden doors, Tancred and Lysander caught Charlie before he found Fidelio.

"That's seriously crazy," Tancred muttered. "Why are we having a dance at Bloor's? I mean really, dances are supposed to be fun and have they ever cared about having fun at Bloor's?"

"He does have a point," Lysander said to Charlie. "When have they cared about us having fun?" Charlie nodded. He did agree. It was a very strange thing for the academy to do.

"I think it has something to do with Vanessa," Charlie told them. Tancred stopped his muttering and turned to listen to Charlie. Charlie explained about how Vanessa had told them about her hypnotist gift and the strange way Manfred seemed to get along with Vanessa.

"Yeah," was all Tancred said after Charlie's explanation. "Hmm, interesting."

"It is," Lysander agreed. "Well if you need us we'll be around."

"Sure," Charlie said and Tancred and Lysander left to another part of the grounds.

Charlie found Fidelio with Emma and Olivia.

"Hi Charlie. Where've you been?" Fidelio asked as Charlie walked over to them.

"Sorry, I was talking to Tancred and Lysander. Where's Vanessa?"

"Look," Emma pointed over to a group of seniors where Vanessa was, again, talking with Manfred.

"I can't believe her," Olivia said. "Why Manfred?"

"Why a dance?" Charlie said instead.

"Yeah," said Fidelio.

Olivia turned pink, "I think it's rather nice. I would like to go, too."

"I completely agree with Olivia. I think it's nice and I want to go," Emma said.

"Yeah, well anyway," Fidelio changed the subject. "I'm not doing anything this Saturday, can any of you meet at the Pet's Café?"

"I can," Olivia told him. "I will be there."

"That would be good," Charlie agreed. "Runner's in need of a good jog in the park."

"You Emma?" Fidelio asked.

"If I could borrow one of Gabriel's gerbils, then I bet I could convince my Auntie to let me come.

"Gabriel can come, too," Fidelio said. "One of us can ask him later. He's talking to Billy and I don't want Billy feeling like he's left out."

A few minutes later the hunting horn sounded and the four friends walked to the garden doors together. Charlie finished his last few classes and went down to dinner with Fidelio. They ate quickly and went hurriedly to their dormitories to pack. Charlie had managed to tell Gabriel about the meeting at the Pet's Café.

The packing had gotten done quickly and many children made their way out to the busses. Charlie, Fidelio, and Gabriel found a seat together on the blue music bus and Charlie felt a weight lift off his shoulders as the bus pulled away from the school.

"See you tomorrow," Charlie called to the other two boys as he got off the bus. "Finally. The weekend," Charlie muttered to himself as he walked down Filbert Street. The door opened, on number nine, just as Charlie was reaching for the knob.

"Hello Charlie," Aunt Eustacia said, too sweetly for Charlie's liking. "I thought you'd be here."

Charlie wished he were back on the bus. He was looking forward to a nice weekend without the thought of school or the Yewbeam Aunts.

"Oh, you're here," Charlie muttered.

"Charlie, that's no way to talk to your aunt," Grandma Bone snapped. "Well come inside, you live here don't you?"

"Unfortunately," Charlie groaned.

Grandma Bone chose to ignore this. Charlie was about to go up and relax in his room when his grandma called to him.

"Where are you going boy? You must sit down at the table with your aunts."

"Must I?" Charlie mocked. "I'm going upstairs to talk to Uncle Paton."

"You are not," Aunt Venetia told him. "Your Uncle is out."

"Where is he?" Charlie asked.

"At that bookstore woman's place," Grandma Bone snarled. Charlie nodded and secretly wished his Uncle luck with Miss Ingledew. Reluctantly, Charlie walked over to a chair and seated himself.

"There you go," said Lucretia. "Now, how was your week at school?"

"Fine," snapped Charlie. He was wondering why they were asking him this because he knew they really didn't care.

"Did anything unusual happen?" Eustacia asked.

Charlie thought about the new girl, Vanessa, and the dance. "Nope," he said innocently.

"Are you sure, Charlie?" she pressed.

"Of course I'm sure."

"What about the dance?" Lucretia asked. Her being Matron at Bloor's she had already heard about the dance.

"So what. It's a school dance. Don't most school's have dances?" Charlie did think this was a bit unusual but he wasn't about to admit it to the Yewbeam Aunts. Charlie started pushing his chair away from the kitchen table.

"You can't go yet, Charlie," one of his aunts told him. Charlie sat in his chair, facing the door, ready to bolt out of the room the minute they said he could go.

"Isn't your Aunt Venetia's necklace beautiful?" Grizelda asked Charlie.

"Sure," Charlie muttered without looking at it and getting up out of the chair.

"Look at it," Grandma Bone told him sternly. Charlie sighed and deciding not to start more trouble, turned to look at the necklace.

The olive green stone that hung on a silver chain around Charlie's aunt's neck was about an inch wide. The shine on the stone caused it to look like other colors were painted on. Once Charlie looked at the large rock he couldn't take his eyes away.

"Don't you love to look at the necklace, Charlie?"

His aunt's voice seemed to come from far away. Charlie did not like to look at the necklace. Looking into those deep colors was just as bad as Manfred Bloor's cold, dark, hypnotizing eyes. Charlie felt like he was being hypnotized.

"Don't you like to look at it?" his aunt asked again.

"Yes," said Charlie dreamily. '_No I don't_,' Charlie thought. "I do like it," he found himself saying.

What was going on? Charlie remembered he could block Manfred's hypnotizing. Perhaps he could block the stone the same way. Charlie tried to find the stone's inner thoughts. It was much more difficult to do this with a stone rather than a human and being already hypnotized he was finding it hard to concentrate already. When Charlie thought he had no chance blocking a stone, Aunt Venetia grabbed the rock and looked at Charlie flabbergasted.

"You evil boy. What did you do?" she shouted.

"I did nothing. I didn't do nothing," Charlie yelled.

"That's right you didn't do nothing," Lucretia snarled and jumped up out of her chair. "It's anything, you stupid boy, but you did do something."

Charlie wasn't sure if the necklace had done this or if Charlie had done it himself, but what happened next surprised Charlie and the Aunts didn't seem to notice. Charlie glared at the necklace again, right where you would unclip it from around Venetia's neck. The clasp broke and the whole silver chain disintegrated. The large green stone slipped down and silently hit the carpeted floor while the Yewbeam Aunts were still yelling names at Charlie. Charlie gasped.

"What?" Grandma Bone asked hearing Charlie's gasp.

"Nothing," he said and pretended to have fallen out of his chair and on to the floor. Charlie grabbed the stone from off the rug and stuffed it in his pocket just as Aunt Eustasia looked down at him.

"Get up," she yelled. Charlie hoped she hadn't seen the necklace. "Leave now."

It seemed she hadn't seen the stone so Charlie jumped up from the floor and raced out the front door. Any minute they would notice it was gone. Charlie was feeling a bit dizzy from the hypnotizing but he ran. A scream echoed from number nine and Aunt Venetia poked her head out the door.

"Get him," she yelled and started down the street. Even though she could run the fastest out of the three aunts, Charlie was much faster and he finally lost her as he turned the corner. He kept running until he was completely out of breath, extremely tired and very dizzy. Charlie collapsed on the sidewalk.

"I gotta stop somewhere," Charlie groaned to himself. He looked up and noticed Fidelio's house a little farther down the street. Charlie pulled himself off the sidewalk and walked to Fidelio's door.

Mr. Gunn sang at Charlie that Fidelio was in his room practicing his violin, but Mr. Gunn thought Charlie looked a bit ill so he let Charlie go up to Fidelio's room.

Charlie dragged himself up the stairs and followed the violin music. Fidelio was playing a very difficult sounding piece. Charlie walked into his room without knocking and fell onto Fidelio's bed.

"Oh hi, Charlie," Fidelio said still playing his piece. When he saw Charlie's face he stopped and put the violin aside. "Are you OK? You don't look like it."

"I think I've just been hypnotized," Charlie murmured.

"Have you seen Manfred?" Fidelio asked concerned.

"No." Charlie pulled the stone out of his pocket and held it up to Fidelio. "This," he said.

Fidelio gave him a questioning look. "A rock," he asked.

"Don't look at it." Charlie clamped his hand over it.

"OK, I'm a bit lost," said Fidelio. "Explain to me what this rock did."

Charlie told Fidelio about his aunt's visit and how the rock had hypnotized him. He was wondering if Fidelio had any other idea besides asking Uncle Paton.

"Well I don't know, Charlie," Fidelio said to him when Charlie finished. "Definitely ask your Uncle Paton."

"I will," Charlie nodded. "Can you think of anyone else I could ask to find out more about this necklace?"

"I think you should ask Gabriel," Fidelio said calmly.

"Why Gabriel?"

"Let me see the stone."

Charlie held out the olive green stone and Fidelio took it into his hand. Fidelio looked at it and didn't take his eyes away. Charlie suddenly realized Fidelio couldn't take his eyes off the hypnotizing colors. Charlie reached over and grabbed the rock out of Fidelio's hand.

"Woah," he gasped. "I see what you mean, Charlie." Fidelio sat down on the chair in his room and bent over with his hand shading his eyes. "That's even worse than Manfred's hypnotizing. Whoever or whatever made that must be very powerful. Everyone says Manfred is very powerful but I think this would be beyond him."

"It's very strong," Charlie agreed. "What were you saying about Gabriel, then?"

"Right," Fidelio said standing up again and walking over to his violin. "Well, it has a little hook so put it on a chain an ask Gabriel to put it on." Fidelio picked up a cloth and started wiping his violin.

"WOW! You're brilliant, Fido!" Charlie jumped up from the bed. "Thanks."

Fidelio smiled. "Sure," he said. "So now you're calling me 'Fido' too?"

Charlie ignored that and told him thanks again.

"I better get going and let you finish your practice," Charlie told his friend.

"Yeah, I have to help my brother, Franklin. He plays piano and needs help, badly," Fidelio laughed and snapped his violin case shut. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Bring the necklace to show to Gabriel."

"You bet I will," Charlie called as he walked down the stairs. "Bye, Fido."

"Bye, Charles," Fidelio called back, smirking, as he walked into his brother's room where someone was slamming on a piano. Charlie figured he better stop calling Fidelio 'Fido' unless he wanted to be called 'Charles' himself. Charlie smiled as Mrs. Gunn let him out the front door.

Charlie was happy he came to see Fidelio. Showing the necklace to Gabriel was a great idea. He figured asking Uncle Paton first would be best, though, remembering all to well the incident with Mrs. Bloor's glove. Charlie walked home hoping the Yewbeam Aunt's were gone and Uncle Paton was home from Miss Ingledew's Bookstore.


	3. A Meeting

I apologize for the length of this chapter. It is really long, but I hope it keeps your attention enough to enjoy it. Personally, I don't like this chapter as much as the others still to come.

As for romance, who knows. I don't think Fidelio and Olivia make _that_ great of a couple as some of you seem to but...perhaps there will be a bit of romance. I'm not saying yes or no. And for Vanessa not having any flaws...trust me, she does.

Thank you so much to the people who reviewed my first two chapters. I was so happy! This is my first story so I was glad you seemed to like it.

Anyway, here is chapter three.

When Charlie got home from Fidelio's house, Uncle Paton was home and the Yewbeam Aunt's were gone along with Grandma Bone. Charlie wasted no time in telling Uncle P about the necklace. He ran upstairs and knocked on the door to Uncle Paton's room.

"Yes?" came a voice.

"It's Charlie. I've got some news and I need to ask you something."

"May the question be why I was out during the day?" his uncle asked as he pulled open the door for Charlie.

"No, I heard you were at Miss Ingledew's," Charlie replied. "How did it go?"

"Fine," Uncle Paton said.

"Did you have any light-bulb accidents?" Charlie asked.

"A few."

"So it didn't go that well?" Charlie asked again.

"I didn't say that," said Paton a bit more sternly. "I said it went alright."

Charlie nodded. "Well, OK. Your sisters were here."

"Oh, I see," Uncle Paton said suspiciously. "What did they do now?"

Charlie pulled out the rock. "Venetia was wearing a strange necklace."

"One of her magic necklaces that she made I suppose," Paton replied.

"I don't think so," Charlie began. "I think it was a bit too powerful for her to make."

"Can I see it then?"

"No," Charlie said. He wasn't about to make the same mistake as he did with Fidelio.

Charlie's Uncle raised his eyebrows. "Why not?"

"It hypnotized me."

"What?" Uncle Paton looked a lot more interested now. "I will only look at it for a minute."

"That's what Fidelio said, but he couldn't take his eyes off it once he had looked into it."

"You shouldn't have showed it to him. I hope he's OK now. If this is what I think it is..." Uncle Paton trailed off. He held out his hand. "I must see it Charlie."

Charlie dropped the rock in his hand. Uncle Paton glanced at it and quickly pulled his eyes away.

"Powerful," he breathed. "It's got to be."

"Got to be what?" Charlie asked.

"How did you get it from Venetia?" Paton asked Charlie not bothering to answer his question.

"It sort of...broke," Charlie told his Uncle.

"How did it break?"

"I got hypnotized from it and the chain holding it around her neck just disappeared," Charlie explained.

"Hmm," Uncle Paton started muttering under his breath. "Why would she be wearing it? The girl must be born. The girl must be close. We need to find her. She must be at...Bloor's."

"Who would be at Bloor's?" Charlie asked. This conversation with his Uncle was making him more confused rather than less.

Paton ignored him. "I need to keep this stone, Charlie. I'm sorry."

Charlie let out an exasperated sigh. "Why?" he asked. "I need to show it to Gabriel." Charlie explained to his Uncle about Fidelio's plan.

"I suppose that would be fine. As long as you give it back to me when you come back."

"OK," Charlie agreed.

"Sounds like your mother just got home," Uncle Paton said. "I'm going to get back to you on stuff about that stone." He slipped the stone into Charlie's hand. "Don't do anything dumb with it," Uncle Paton warned.

"I won't," Charlie assured him. "'Night," he waved as he shut the door.

"'Night," Paton repeated. "Charlie, wait." Charlie poked his head back in. "Call your friend to make sure he's OK. That's a powerful stone."

"I think he's OK," Charlie said.

"Make sure," Uncle Paton told him.

"Alright." Charlie shut the door and ran downstairs. He was talking to his mom about her day, when Charlie remembered he was to call Fidelio. Charlie picked up the phone and punched in Fidelio's number. As soon as someone answered the phone, Charlie could hear the music in the background.

"Hello," said a little girl's voice.

"Is Fidelio there?"

Hold on. I'll get him," she said. "Fidelioooooo," the girl screamed right in Charlie's ear. "Who is this?"

"Give me the phone," Charlie heard Fidelio say. "Hi."

Hi, Fidelio," said Charlie.

"Hey, Charlie," Fidelio said happily. "Sorry about that. That was my sister, Felicity." He dropped his voice down so that it was a difficult to hear him over the noise. "Are you alright? Did anything else happen?"

"No. I'm fine," Charlie told him. "My Uncle wanted me to check to make sure you are OK. He reckons that stone is extremely powerful."

"I'm a little dizzy and really sleepy, but I'll be fine," said Fidelio. "Is that it?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Charlie was glad Fidelio was OK. It must be a powerful stone if Fidelio was still dizzy. Charlie got a chain from his mom's room and hooked it on the necklace. Gabriel would check the necklace tomorrow. As for now, Charlie shoved the green rock in his drawer, hoping the day ahead of him would hold more answers to the mysterious stone. Curling up in his bed, Charlie fell asleep.

The next morning Charlie completely forgot about the necklace. As soon as he went downstairs and into the kitchen, the grim expression on Grandma Bone's face reminded him.

"Where is it, boy?" she snarled at Charlie the moment he set a toe in the kitchen. Charlie decided the best way to avoid her would be to play dumb about the necklace.

"Where is what?" he asked as he shoved some breakfast in his mouth.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," she snapped.

"No I don't."

"What did you do with it?"

"Nothing. I did nothing with it," Charlie told her.

"Aha, so you do know what I'm talking about," Grandma Bone said.

"The necklace I suppose, seeing as Aunt Venetia chased me halfway across town," Charlie said in a bored tone.

A smile of triumph crossed Grandma Bone's face. "So, what did you do with it," she asked again.

"I don't have it," Charlie assured her. "How could I have it? It was around her neck, wasn't it? She would have noticed if I grabbed it, wouldn't she?"

Grandma Bone seemed not to have anything to say about that. "Fine," she snapped. "Leave. I don't want you in this house. Your aunts will be coming over again, soon."

Charlie quickly ran out of the house, after getting the necklace, to avoid any meetings with the Aunts. It was still a bit early to head over to the Pet's Café, but Charlie had nowhere else to go. Taking the long way around the city, Charlie hoped to kill some time before heading over to the Café. Finally, he decided he couldn't delay giving Runner Bean a walk any longer.

Charlie pulled open the door to the Café and saw Tancred and Lysander sitting in a booth together. They motioned for Charlie to come sit with them after Charlie told Norton Cross that he came to take Runner for a walk.

"Hi, Charlie," Tancred and Lysander said at the same time. Charlie waved at them both.

"I need to take Runner for a walk, and later I'm meeting Olivia, Fidelio, Emma, and Gabriel here."

"We'll come with to walk Runner and we could go get Gabriel because I've got one of his gerbils," Tancred said holding up a gerbil. "He should be on his way down here now."

"Sounds good," replied Charlie.

Charlie hooked a leash onto Runner Bean's collar and followed Tancred and Lysander out of the shop.

Runner Bean was very happy to go for a run. He leaped all over and it was hard for Charlie to hold onto him. Once they were closer to the edge of town, Runner Bean chased a few squirrels up trees and barked loudly at them.

Soon, the three boys saw Gabriel walking toward them with a gerbil clinging to his shirt.

"Hi, Gabriel," they all said.

All four boys had a race back down to the Café. Lysander won along with Runner Bean and everyone was out of breath when they finally reached the door. Fidelio was already sitting at a table when they arrived. He gave them all a broad smile.

"Now all we need are Olivia and Emma," and as he spoke the two girls walked through the door together.

"Hi, everyone," Olivia called giving them all a huge wave with her arm. Emma waved too.

They sat down and everyone talked for a while. "So did you find partners for the dance?" Charlie asked Tancred and Lysander.

"Nah," Tancred said. "I think me and Sander just might end up going without partners. At least _I_ probably am," Tancred said looking at his friend.

"I'm probably not going to get a partner either. Are you going, Charlie?" said Lysander.

Charlie hadn't really given that much thought. "Doubtfully, unless Fidelio wants to go."

"I don't think I want to," Fidelio told him.

"Alright then," Lysander said. "It's too bad us seniors have to go."

"I still say it's strange," said Tancred.

"Oh get over it, Tanc," Lysander told him. Lysander turned to the others; "Every time someone mentions the dance he says that."

Charlie remembered about the stone and explained for the third time about how it had hypnotized him. Fidelio filled everyone in on the part when Charlie arrived at his house.

"So Charlie brought the necklace for Gabriel to try on," Fidelio concluded.

"Me?" Gabriel looked concerned.

"Don't worry," Charlie told him. "My Uncle said it would be alright. He wouldn't let me do anything dangerous"

"OK," said Gabriel slowly. "I'll put it on."

"Thanks, Gabriel." Charlie pulled the necklace out of his pocket. "Don't look at it," he warned everyone. Charlie reached his hand across the table and handed the stone to Gabriel. Gabriel clamped the hypnotizing part in his palm.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered.

Everyone held his or her breath while Emma helped Gabriel clip the chain around his neck. They all watched Gabriel's face turn from anxiousness about putting on the necklace to terror.

"Oh," he shivered and yanked on the necklace breaking the chain. "That was terrible."

"I'm sorry, Gabriel," Fidelio said quickly. "It was my idea. I should have known that it wasn't a very smart one."

"I shouldn't have brought it," Charlie told him.

"It's OK," Gabriel said. "It was very confusing though."

"Did you feel like you were being hypnotized?" Emma asked.

"Not really. It was definitely the strangest I've ever felt though."

"How did you feel?" she asked again.

"Hmm. It's hard to explain. I did feel evil and happy. So I guess that person was happy being evil," Gabriel told them all.

"They're dead now, but I can tell they live on. I don't understand it, but I can feel it. That's all."

Everyone was silent, watching Gabriel. "Here you go, Charlie," he said after a while trying to get the six pairs of eyes off him. Gabriel gave the necklace back to Charlie. "I better go now," he told them.

"See ya, Gabriel," they called after him.

"Me and Tanc should go, too," Lysander said. "Bye."

"Emma's coming to my house for a bit," Olivia told Fidelio and Charlie. "Do you think we could meet up later and maybe figure out more about this necklace?"

Fidelio looked at Charlie. "Do you want to come over to my house," he asked Charlie.

"Yeah," he replied. "My aunts are probably over now."

"See you there, then," Olivia called as she followed Emma out the door who was also carrying one of Olivia's white rabbits.

Soon after they left the Café, Charlie and Fidelio made their way to the Gunn house.

"Aren't you usually busy on Saturdays?" Charlie asked Fidelio.

"I am, but today is my birthday so I get a day off everything," Fidelio told him.

"Why didn't you tell us it was your birthday?"

"I got the violin I wanted, last week, so basically I'm OK for now," Fidelio smiled one of his charming smiles. "It cost mom and dad a fortune. I really like it though."

"Happy birthday, then," Charlie said.

"Thanks."

"Fido," someone yelled behind the two boys. Charlie turned to see Olivia running up the sidewalk towards them with Emma sprinting behind her.

"Fido, wait," she yelled again. Charlie turned to Fidelio.

"Olivia's calling you," Charlie told him because he apparently didn't notice.

"I no," Fidelio replied continuing to ignore her. "I wish she would stop calling me that. I'm not a dog."

Olivia quickly caught up to them along with Emma. "Hey, Fidelio," she said.

Fidelio spun around. "What?"

"I was calling you," Olivia informed him.

"You were not."

"Whatever," she said guessing what he was a little annoyed about. "Anyway, I was wondering if you could come over quickly and give me some pointers on my singing. I'm getting ready for a really big play audition and I have to sing for it. You come too, Charlie."

"Why do you want me to give you pointers?" Fidelio asked her.

"You're a fantastic musician. You would know best."

"So you're not singing A Cappella, and you want me to tell you if you're singing in key?" he asked.

"Right. Usually I can tell, but it's a really big audition so I wanted to make sure," said Olivia. "Besides I'm not too good with music."

"Do you want me to come over now?"

"Could you?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. "Come on, Charlie."

They walked to Olivia's house, which was fairly close to Charlie's. "Come on in," said Olivia when they got to the door. "Come up to my mom's studio. There's the most space in there."

"Your mom has her own studio?" Charlie asked Olivia, amazed.

"Yeah. Well she is a movie star after all," Emma said for Olivia.

"Why can't you just ask her to listen to your singing?" Charlie said.

"She's not home and she won't be for the rest of the weekend. My dad couldn't tell me anything about music or acting," replied Olivia. "Here, you can sit here."

Olivia pulled out three chairs and handed a few sheets of music to Fidelio.

"This is what I'm singing," she said. "You two," she gestured at Emma and Charlie, "can follow along, too."

Charlie gave a snort of laughter. He could barely read any music let alone more difficult pieces like Olivia was singing. Charlie figured Emma wasn't too clever with music, either.

When Olivia started her song and began to sing, Charlie didn't need to look at the notes to tell that Olivia had an excellent voice. He noticed that Emma, too, looked at Olivia in awe. Charlie glanced at Fidelio who was staring at the sheet, tapping his foot, and mouthing the words. Charlie wondered if Olivia would make any mistakes.

Olivia finished and Emma breathed, "Wow. That was so good Olivia."

Olivia gave a huge smile. "What did you two think?" she asked.

"Good," said Charlie. "Really good."

"Almost exactly perfect," Fidelio told her, impressed.

"Almost?" Emma asked.

"One mistake," Fidelio showed Olivia the music. "You need to drop down a third, here." He pointed at a part. "You were holding it out as all the same note. It's just a sixteenth note, so don't make it long. It's barely noticeable anyway."

"Thanks for being so critical," Olivia joked. "I really do appreciate it, though."

"Sure," he said. "Glad to help."

"So, what now?" Emma asked.

"Is it still OK if we go over to your house?" Charlie asked Fidelio.

"Yeah, all three of you can come."

They all left Olivia's house, and walked over to Fidelio's. Charlie told Emma and Olivia it was Fidelio's birthday, so they both wished him a happy birthday. Like Charlie, they thought Fidelio should have told them.

Fidelio yanked open his front door and led them through the noise and into his attic where they could discuss the stone necklace.

"Gabriel told us one good thing," said Emma when they finally got in the attic. "He said the person who had it is dead now, so I suppose we don't have to worry about that."

"Do we?" Fidelio asked. "He also said they live on somehow. Did your Uncle say anything useful, Charlie?"

Charlie almost forgot about what Uncle Paton was muttering about. "Not really," Charlie said. "It was confusing. He did say something about someone being at Bloor's, though. I think he was going to look something up and get back to me on it."

"I wonder who could be at Bloor's," said Emma.

"That's what I mean. Uncle Paton didn't tell me much," Charlie told them. "If we meet tomorrow, I might have more information."

"Can't," said Fidelio. "I'll be busy. Could you fill me in on Monday?"

"Of course," Charlie assured him.

"Thanks," said Fidelio, gratefully.

"Maybe Tancred, Lysander, and Gabriel will be there again," Olivia said. "I bet they want to know what's going on after today."

"I bet they would," said Fidelio.

"I better go," Emma told them. "My Auntie Julia is expecting me."

"Same here. I've got to leave, too." Olivia and Emma got up to leave. "See you tomorrow, Charlie. And you on Monday, Fidelio."

Fidelio invited Charlie to stay for lunch. He happily accepted. It amazed Charlie how Fidelio's noisy family, that always had people practicing, could become so quiet when they all came down for lunch. Charlie had never met all of Fidelio's brothers and sisters so Fidelio introduced them.

"This is Felicity. She plays the harp. And Felicia. She plays the violin, like me. She also plays trumpet. Franklin is still learning piano but he can play the French horn. Felix has a rock band. He plays the electric bass, saxophone, and the drums. Faye plays the piccolo and oboe, but she sings too. And this is Faustine she plays viola and clarinet."

Fidelio pointed to each of his siblings as they walked in the door to the dining room. All the Gunns beamed at Charlie with the same freckled faces, brown eyes, and shiny, brown, wavy hair. "Who's missing?" Fidelio said at last.

"Feodor," the girl called Faye told him.

"Oh," Fidelio said as the smallest boy walked through the door. This boy didn't have a smile on his face. "That's Feodor. He plays the cello and he's quite good. He'll be going to Bloor's when he gets older, for sure. A few of the others might, too."

Feodor looked up at Charlie and Fidelio and stuck out his tongue. "He's got a horrible temper," Fidelio whispered to Charlie.

"That's right," Feodor told Charlie, sitting down at the table.

"Don't mind him."

"Anyway, let's eat," said Felicia. Everyone thought that to be a great idea and sat down at the table to eat. After spending about another hour at Fidelio's house, Charlie decided he had better get home and find out what the Yewbeam Aunts were up to now.


	4. Information at Last

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the original characters or ideas from the Charlie Bone Books. They belong to Jenny Nimmo and I am not Jenny Nimmo.

**Author's Note:** If you don't mind could you please review this if you read it because, I don't know about you, but I just like getting reviews and I wanna know if you like it so I know if I should write another Charlie Bone fic after this one. Actually, even if you don't like it I'm going to write another because I just like writing them and I have ideas. LOL.

Anyway here is Chapter 4:

The rest of the day passed by boringly for Charlie. Uncle Paton didn't have anything interesting for him about the necklace. Charlie wished Gabriel had been able to tell them more about the strange stone. The information Gabriel did tell them was definitely something, though. Charlie just didn't know how it would help.

He woke up the next morning hoping Uncle Paton would have news for him. Charlie knocked on his Uncle's door quite early.

"Come on, Charlie," Paton sighed. Charlie pulled the door open. "I suppose you'd like to know something about that necklace?"

"I would," Charlie nodded.

"Well I can only tell you a very small bit. I haven't really found much, but I'll tell you what I can guess."

Charlie sat down and stared at him, ready for some information at last.

"A family," his Uncle began. "All the men were hypnotists. Every single one."

"Like Manfred?" Charlie asked.

"Not really," Uncle P told him. "This family was much more powerful than Manfred."

Charlie wondered if Manfred knew about this family, himself. If he did, he probably couldn't stand the fact some people were better than he was at hypnotizing.

"The women in that family were never hypnotists. Not one," Uncle Paton continued. "They were usually endowed, but never with the hypnotism gift."

"Why not?" Charlie wondered aloud.

"Who knows," Paton said. "They just never were. Anyway, awhile back, a pure evil boy was born into that family."

"As bad as Ezekiel Bloor?"

"No, worse," Uncle Paton said, seriously. "As the boy grew older his powers grew older and his heart grew colder. When he became a competent hypnotist as a man, he was known to torture people and eventually ended up capturing one in a stone. My guess is you came across his stone."

"So you're saying the stone I have has a person in it?" Charlie questioned.

"No, but I think it would be something more like someone's mind that would be captured."

"How did he do it, though?"

"Good question," said Uncle Paton. "I told you they were powerful and he was most likely the most powerful of all of them."

"Oh." Charlie wanted to know more about this strange family. "Does the family still exist?"

"Yes, but I can't quite remember what the name is. That's what I'll have to tell you later."

"So, how can I help the person in the stone?"

"There was a prophecy that..." Uncle Paton didn't finish.

"Yes?" said Charlie.

"Never mind, dear boy, I'll tell you later. I need to know more first," he said, beginning to straighten up books that were scattered in his room.

"Who did you say was probably at Bloor's?" asked Charlie, hoping for more information.

Uncle Paton stopped his cleaning and looked Charlie in the eyes. "We'll see. In the mean time don't concern yourself with it. That's just what my sisters wanted for you, a nice long hypnotizing sleep. Better yet for them, no one could blame Manfred for it this time."

Charlie nodded and left the room. That was a strange bit of a story he just heard. He didn't really want to see the stone again, so he found it in his room and slipped it into a small black, velvet pouch that he had gotten his mother's chain out of. Without thinking, Charlie laid the pouch on his dresser in his room and went downstairs.

Grandma Bone was sitting at the kitchen table when Charlie walked in. She gave him a disgusted look from behind a newspaper she was reading. Charlie ignored her and began looking for something to eat. Uncle P started saying something about a prophecy. Charlie hoped Uncle Paton would tell him about that soon. He figured that piece of information might be just what they needed.

Charlie spent the rest of the day doing basically nothing until it was time for him to go to the Pet's Café again. Charlie walked through the door and saw everyone sitting together including Tancred and Lysander. The only person missing was Fidelio.

"Got anything to tell us?" Lysander asked when Charlie sat down at the table.

"You bet I do."

Charlie quickly told them everything Uncle Paton mentioned this morning. He also told them about the prophecy.

"Ooh, a prophecy," Emma said. "I wonder what it was about?"

"I wonder who prophesized it?" Tancred added.

Charlie had never thought about that. It was probably just as important to know who prophesized it, as well as what it was about.

"Well at least we know something, now," said Gabriel. "I wonder why it can hypnotize you? If someone is really trapped in it, maybe the evil man hypnotized him or her in it, or something."

"You're brilliant, Gabriel!" Olivia said ecstatically. "I bet the person who's mind is in the stone is at Bloor's. Charlie, you said that your Uncle said something about someone being at Bloor's. What if that's it?"

"That's a fantastic idea," Charlie nodded. Everyone agreed except Lysander.

"Come on, Sander. Do you have any better ideas?" Tancred questioned.

"No," Lysander confessed. "It just doesn't seem possible."

"How is it not possible?"

Lysander just shrugged. He stayed silent when everyone else started talking about people who don't seem to have a mind and could be the victim.

"I bet it's...hmm...Zelda Dobinski. She probably wasted her mind away doing all that telekinetic stuff," Olivia said convincingly. Everyone laughed, even Lysander.

"Good one," Tancred told her.

"Let's be serious," Emma commanded. "This is Bloor's Academy. The genius school. You need a mind to get accepted."

"Ha! It won't work," Lysander shouted, causing a few people in the Café to glance at their table.

"What about the endowed?" Olivia offered. All of the friends glared at her. "Sorry, sorry just an idea."

"She has got a point, though," Gabriel said.

"I can guarantee you it is not me," Tancred assured them right away. "I wasn't put in the art department for no reason."

"That's right," said Emma. "You're an excellent painter, Tancred. And you carve beautifully, Lysander."

"You can draw fantastically, too, Emma," Charlie said.

"Thanks. Now what about the people who don't have talents as well as endowments?"

"Manfred can hypnotize so his mind can't be hypnotized, unfortunately," said Charlie.

"Same with Vanessa, but not unfortunately," Olivia told them.

"Oh yeah." Charlie had forgotten about Vanessa.

"She plays the flute well, though. I would call that a talent." Gabriel said. "I don't know why she's in the drama department."

"It obviously takes Billy brain power to communicate with animals."

"And even though it doesn't seem like it, Zelda definitely uses her mind."

"Asa uses his mind when he transforms."

"I play piano," Gabriel said.

"That leaves...Dorcas and Charlie.

Everyone looked at Charlie. He had no talents and nothing about his endowment could really defend him.

"Think about it, guys, Charlie's got to be thinking to find out about the stone to begin with. Besides, his _mind_ travels into the portraits when he goes in them." Luckily, Tancred was thinking quicker than was Charlie himself.

"And Dorcas?"

"Who knows, but I don't think it's her," Lysander said positively.

"Why not?" Olivia demanded.

"Because I just don't. OK?"

"Yes, but why?"

"Because she was hypnotized by Yolonda and you need a mind if you're going to be hypnotized don't you?" Lysander said hotly. "Anyway, it's starting to get dark and I haven't pack any of my stuff for school, tomorrow. So, see you later." He left with his parrot screeching on his shoulder.

Lysander was right, it was almost dark and there was school the next day. Quickly the table emptied and everyone was on their way home. Charlie wasn't looking forward to passing the old Cathedral in the dark. He could faintly hear chords being played on the organ, which reminded him of his dad.

Once home, Charlie was shoved on his way up the stairs and in his room by Grandma Bone even before he had gotten a chance to say hello to Maisie or his mother.

"Where were you? You should have been home packing a long time ago."

"Sorry. I lost track of time," Charlie said deciding not to cause any more trouble. Grandma Bone sniffed, but left his bedroom closing the door loudly.

Charlie grabbed his bag and started stuffing clothes in it until he noticed something that was missing. The small black pouch that held the stone was gone from Charlie's dresser.

Charlie grabbed his doorknob, pulled, and went running out into the hall until he ran head on into his mother who was carrying a hamper of his washed clothes for him to pack.

"Where are you going so fast?" his mother asked.

Charlie wondered how he would explain everything about the necklace to her. "I was going to tell Uncle P goodnight," Charlie said getting up from the floor where had fallen after running into his mother.

"So quickly?" she asked again.

"I was really tired so I wanted to go straight to bed."

"You don't seem tired."

'_Why was she making this so difficult?'_ he wondered.

"Maisie said you were out almost all day. What's going on?" she said.

"The Yewbeam Aunt's are up to no good again, Mom," Charlie whispered.

"Oh, I see. Will you tell me more?" Her expression changed to be more serious. "Well, I'm sure you're busy, so tell me next weekend when you come home from school."

Charlie agreed and hurried into Uncle Paton's room.

"Uncle Paton, I think Grandma Bone took the necklace," Charlie burst out as soon as he entered the room.

Uncle Paton held up his hand. "I have it, Charlie. I asked you to give it to me, so I went into your room to see if you left it. It was sitting right on your dresser, I noticed. A very unwise place to keep it."

"Oh yeah. Thanks for taking it then. Goodnight."

Charlie went back to his room and resumed his packing until, finally, he kissed his mother and Maisie and went to bed with the dreadful thought of school the next day on his mind.


	5. Hypnotism and a Missing Violin

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Charlie Bone characters. They all belong to Jenny Nimmo and I am not Jenny Nimmo.

(A/N: There were a few things I forgot to say when I posted the last chapter so here they are-

As for Fidelio's family members all starting with the letter 'F'...I've done bad. I noticed after I posted the chapter that the name 'Fidelio' is Beethoven's only opera (was it his only opera or did he write more? well whatever) and it says in one of the other books that one of Fidelio's brothers name is Felix. And there is a composer named Felix Mendelssohn. I made the rest of Fidelio's siblings names start with 'F', but not composers or something. (Isn't that clever? The musicians' names are musical...LOL) Someone also said I should include their ages too...I will, but not yet.)

(A/N 2: Now, I found something interesting. In the Bible, in the book of Daniel, it talks about King Nebuchadnezzer dreaming about a tree. It also talks about Daniel having dreams about a leopard with bird wings that came from the heaven's winds. I just thought that was kind of strange because of the Red King, from Charlie Bone, being a tree or something and having leopards. And the bird wings and winds are like Emma's and Tancred's endowments. Alright, so I might be going crazy but I thought that was weird. (If you want to find out for yourself, it's in the book of Daniel, chapter 4 and chapter 7)

And now I shall shut up so you can read chapter five.)

The next morning, Charlie woke early as to not make the same mistake as last week. He ate breakfast, dressed, and grabbed his bag which had his blue music cloak in it. Charlie also went into his Uncle's room and convinced Uncle Paton to let him take the stone to Bloor's. When the bus came to his stop, he hurried on quickly. Sitting down, he started telling Fidelio everything that had happened the day before.

Fidelio listened quite well until the part about them thinking that the person who's mind was in the stone was at Bloor's and that it could possibly be Dorcas Loom.

"Nah, she couldn't be," he said. "I completely agree with Lysander."

"Why?"

"If that person was captured quite a few years back and Dorcas is only a child... I would also have to agree with what Lysander said about her being hypnotized by Yolonda. And if someone's mind was trapped in a hypnotizing stone, I wouldn't think they would be walking and talking. Would you?"

"No," Charlie said. Fidelio was very clever. All of his ideas made sense and went along with what Lysander said. Charlie changed his mind and did agree with Lysander. "I think you're right," he told Fidelio.

"Anyway, you better put that cloak on. We're at school now."

Charlie looked out the window at Bloor's Academy. Emma, Olivia, and Vanessa were already waiting for them at the gates. As soon as Charlie and Fidelio got off the bus, they met up with the three others. Charlie hoped Olivia had not told Vanessa about the stone. It was still very questionable which side she was on anyway.

"Hello," called Olivia with pink hair.

Vanessa smiled and waved along with Emma. Fidelio waved back but Charlie couldn't help himself.

"Did you tell her?" he whispered to Olivia, gesturing with his head at Vanessa. Fidelio sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Tell me what?" Vanessa asked.

"Nothing," Charlie lied. Olivia shook her head at him and mouthed "I didn't tell her."

Vanessa raised her eyebrows at Charlie but said, "That's OK. You don't need to tell me."

They all walked up the sidewalk to the entrance of the academy. Once inside, the three girls left to their departments while Charlie and Fidelio walked in the music doorway. After assembly Charlie was about to run off to his trumpet lesson but Fidelio caught him.

"I might be late from my violin lesson so don't wait for me.

"Um, OK," Charlie said.

After forty minutes of blowing all his breath into a trumpet, Charlie was told to leave by Mr. Paltry. He did leave and walked out to break with Gabriel and Billy instead of Fidelio. Charlie wondered if there was any point in telling Billy about the necklace. So far they really didn't know much about it. Eventually, Charlie figured they might as well trust Billy with it and Gabriel started talking about the stone anyway.

Soon, Olivia came up to them and gave them some shocking information.

"I've got some bad news," she said. "Manfred asked Vanessa to the dance and she said yes."

Charlie was speechless along with everyone else. He looked over at Manfred who was talking to Asa. Vanessa was nowhere to be found.

"Where is she?" he asked at last.

"Flute lesson, I think," Gabriel said.

"Look at Zelda, though," Olivia said snickering.

Zelda was sitting alone on the other end of the garden. She was staring at Manfred with a look of disgust on her face. Charlie did find this a little funny. Just then, Fidelio came running through the garden gates.

Olivia told him about Vanessa and Manfred. Fidelio didn't say much about that but he did tell them something interesting.

"I was coming out of my violin lesson," he started, "and I heard someone playing a flute in one of the rooms. It was a pretty melody and the flutist was really good, so I stopped to listen for a minute to see if I could find out who it was. I sort of got...well, I don't know. It was really strange, though."

"You mean it was almost like you got hypnotized, but just barely?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes. Exactly."

"The flutist was Vanessa, wasn't it?" Gabriel said to Fidelio. Fidelio nodded.

"It must have something to do with her being a hypnotist," said Billy who had found out about her gift too.

"Probably," Charlie said as the hunting horn sounded. The four boys walked off to lunch together as Olivia went back to her drama friends with Emma.

When they all sat down at the music table, Charlie waited until Billy and Gabriel were occupied with something else to ask Fidelio for a favor.

"Fidelio, do you think you could hide the stone somewhere?" Charlie whispered. "My aunts are on to me and I'm thinking the Bloor's have something to do with it, too. They'll probably be keeping an eye on me."

"You brought it to school?" Fidelio asked quietly but then shrugged. "Could be useful somehow, I guess. Yeah, I could hide it."

"Thanks."

Later that day, Vanessa came up to Fidelio and told him she was very sorry for her flute playing.

"Olivia told me you stopped to listen to me," she admitted. "I'm sorry about the hypnotizing. Well, actually, I didn't hypnotize you because, obviously, you need to look into my eyes to be hypnotized, but sometimes it's hard to control the effect of my endowment."

"It's alright," Fidelio said. "You play very well, though."

"Oh?" she said in a puzzled voice. "Well, thank you very much. You said you play violin?"

Fidelio nodded.

"Anyway," Charlie said not wanting to get a detention from Manfred.

"Right," said Vanessa. "See you later, Fidelio."

Charlie quickly slipped the stone necklace into Fidelio's hand when no one was looking as Vanessa and Charlie ran off to the King's room. Fidelio went down the hall the other way. Charlie and Vanessa made it just as everyone was sitting down. Charlie sat down next to Gabriel and to his amazement, Vanessa sat next to Charlie. Zelda took this advantage to sit next to Manfred, who frowned at Vanessa when she wasn't looking.

Vanessa didn't seem like Manfred's type at all. Unless, she was just pretending to be Olivia's friend so that she could get inside information from them. Charlie didn't think this was the case, though. Vanessa hadn't pestered him about what they were talking about that morning, before school. She also seemed truly sorry for her accident with her flute playing.

Charlie looked around the room and stopped when he spotted Dorcas. Fidelio and Lysander were right. How could they think Dorcas was trapped in a stone? Noticing Asa looking at him, Charlie started his work.

The rest of the week passed slowly until Thursday morning. Charlie woke and went down to breakfast with Fidelio, Billy and Gabriel as usual. After assembly, he battled with a trumpet in Mr. Paltry's class. Once again, Fidelio did not get out of his violin lesson on time, but unlike last time he didn't even come out to break. Vanessa came over by Charlie and his friends after her flute lesson and said she hadn't seen Fidelio either.

Fidelio still hadn't turned up when they went in and Charlie started to worry what had become of him, until someone grabbed his cloak from behind. Charlie spun around.

Fidelio was standing behind him looking quite panicky.

"Charlie," he said urgently, not even caring to keep his voice down in the hall. Charlie put his finger to his lips as to quiet Fidelio. Fidelio gave him a pained expression. This was very unlike Fidelio to panic about something.

Olivia noticed his odd behavior, and beckoned all of them, Fidelio, Charlie, Emma, Vanessa, Gabriel, and Billy, to follow her. She led them down a passageway and into a vacant classroom.

"My violin is gone," he sighed. "My brand-new violin that cost...a fortune. If I don't find it before we have to go home tomorrow..."

He sat himself on top of one of the desks in the classroom. "My dad'll kill me," he moaned.

No one really knew what to say. Emma told him it would probably turn up soon, but he didn't seem to believe her. Gabriel suggested looking again, but Fidelio already had looked for about and hour if not more. The minutes ticked by until their next class.

"Sorry everyone," Fidelio said, a few moments later. "Let's go to class before we're really late."

Vanessa slid off the desk she was sitting on. "No way, Fidelio," she said to him. "I'll stay and look for it with you until we find it and I think everyone else will, too."

"Even if it means I have to skip _English_ class," she added as an after thought.

Everyone agreed on helping him look. Gabriel and Billy had a math test and everybody insisted they go.

"Us three girls will start in the tower. It's a black case with your name on the tag, right?" Emma asked once they got into the music room. Fidelio nodded and lead Charlie to the string's room. He put his ear to the door.

"No one's in there," he whispered even though there wasn't anyone else in the larger room.

Fidelio pulled open the door and closed it behind them once they were both inside.

"Charlie," Fidelio breathed. "My violin wasn't the only thing in that case. The other day you asked me to hide the stone, so I put it in my violin case because it has a lock on it. Kind of a dumb idea, really. Anyway, the only two people in the room when I put it in there, were Vanessa and Asa. I didn't event think why Asa was in the music room, but I bet he saw me. I bet he knew I had it."

Fidelio spoke much calmer now, but he still didn't look like himself. "I shouldn't have put it in there, but now it's probably in the hands of Manfred and the rest of the Bloor's and who knows how much they know about it."

Charlie didn't know what to say. The Bloor's probably did know more then Charlie about that mysterious stone.

"So, what now?" Fidelio asked. This seemed strange to Charlie. Fidelio was usually telling Charlie what to do now, not Charlie telling Fidelio.

Charlie shrugged. "Keep looking I guess."

"Don't we basically know where it is" Fidelio said to him. The two boys stared at each other. Charlie watched a smile spread across his friend's face.

"I know!" Fidelio exclaimed. "Since Vanessa and Manfred are...well, you know...let's ask her to try and get the stone and the violin from him."

"You said Vanessa and Asa were the only two in the room when you put the stone in your case, right? Well, what if Vanessa took it?"

"Charlie, I know you don't exactly trust her, but she seems perfectly fine. In fact, if you want to do something about this stone, I would think she could be very useful to...to keep on our side."

So Fidelio was thinking sides, too? He wasn't even endowed. Then again, he had a lot of endowed friends. It would have surprised Charlie if he weren't thinking about sides.

Charlie felt there was no need in reminding Fidelio that Vanessa might not be on there side seeing as she was friends with Manfred.

"Let's tell her what we think, then," said Charlie. Fidelio smiled a little and began to walk out the door. Charlie followed. They found the girls in the tower close by Mr. Pilgrim's room.

"We think we know who took it," Fidelio announced.

"Who?" Olivia asked right away.

"Manfred," Charlie said without hesitating.

"No." Vanessa shook her head. "He wouldn't."

"There was something in it he would have wanted," Fidelio said. "Besides a violin," he added, trying not to give away to much information. Emma, guessing what it was, looked at them with an open mouth.

"Oh, was there?" Vanessa said suspiciously. Charlie didn't like her tone of voice. He looked at Fidelio who shook his head.

"Umm, yes. We were wondering if you could try and get it from Manfred," Fidelio said to Vanessa.

"Nope. I won't do it."

"Please," Olivia begged, catching on to what was in the case.

"I told you, Manfred would not take it," she said stubbornly.

Fidelio sighed. She was not making it easy for him. "What if I said Asa took it and gave it to Manfred."

"Asa Pike?"

Charlie nodded.

"Oh, OK. Now, what do you want me to do?" she asked, happy to help.

Everyone laughed. It was obvious she didn't like Asa either.

"Well, it would probably be in Manfred's room or the prefect's room," Fidelio told her.

"Oh," she said in a disappointed voice. "Guess you're out of luck then."

"What? Can't you get it?" Charlie asked.

"Of course not. I can't go in Manfred or the prefect's room."

"Hmm, I guess not Manfred's room, but maybe if you ask, he'll let you in the prefect's room."

"Well, if you don't find it before we leave tomorrow, I could pretend like I left something here and possibly convince Manfred to let me in and, if I'm lucky, I could sneak around and try to find it."

"Would you really do that for us?" Emma asked her.

"Sure," she said. "Let's just hope I don't get in too much trouble."

Vanessa sounded more like Olivia than herself. Sneaking around and trying not to break rules was Olivia's specialty. Everyone thanked Vanessa.

"I'll do that, then," Vanessa said about their plan. "As for now, we better hurry to our work rooms."

All of the friends hurried out of the tower and into the hall where they ran into Zelda.

"And where have you been?" she smirked.

"Looking for something," Olivia said.

"What might that be?" Zelda asked.

"Nothing," Charlie said, trying to act innocent.

"Ha! As if you, four were up to nothing. Tell me what you were looking for," she demanded.

"Fidelio's violin," said Emma, not wanting to cause trouble. Zelda turned her eyes on Fidelio and smiled in and evil sort of way.

"Aww, has Fiddling Fidelio lost his fiddle? What ever shall we do?" Zelda laughed a little.

Fidelio's face turned pink but he kept staring into Zelda's eyes as he gritted his teeth.

"Oh Zelda, you're so funny aren't you," Vanessa said sarcastically.

Zelda turned to Vanessa who she seemed to have just noticed. "Look who's with these four, Mrs. Bloor-to-be. Why aren't you with your boyfriend?" Zelda let out a pure evil laugh.

Vanessa's face turned a dark red, but she quickly pushed her embarrassment to the back of her mind and smiled at Zelda.

"_Me_, Mrs. Bloor-to-be? Well, maybe if you're lucky you'll get to be Mrs. Bloor. You seem to want to _so_ much," Vanessa said, stressing the word 'so' a little too much for Zelda's liking.

Vanessa turned and headed in the direction of the King's room while Zelda stood dumbstruck in the hall. Charlie kept staring at Zelda who smiled and turned her gaze on the bag, which was swung over Vanessa's shoulder. Vanessa's flute case was pulled out of her bag as if held up by invisible hands. The flute case, that Zelda was staring at, smashed to the floor and opened, sending the pieces of the flute rolling down the hall.

Vanessa went for her flute. She didn't get far, when her purple drama cloak flew over her head, obscuring her vision. She pulled the cloak out of her eyes, while Zelda laughed.

"Telekinetic powers," Vanessa said while she approached Zelda. "How pathetic. How about some hypnotism?" Vanessa walked right up to Zelda and stared into her eyes. Anyone could have guessed what she was going to do next. Zelda seemed to not be able to look anywhere but at Vanessa. The laughing smile on her face was replaced by a fearful frown.

"No, Vanessa," Emma yelled running forward. "Don't."

Her words were drowned out by Zelda's bloodcurdling scream that sent chills down all their spines. With a loud thump, her limp body hit the stone, hallway floor.

Vanessa clapped her hand to her mouth. "What have I done?" she moaned and started to back away from Zelda. "I don't think I'll be going to the King's room for homework."

"What should I tell Manfred?" Emma asked quietly.

"Tell him...tell him...umm...tell him the truth." She ran off down a hall.

(A/N 3: Yes, I have more to say. Who knows when I can get on-line and post again. My internet isn't exactly working (shows fist to comp. screen) so I might not be able to post for a while, then again I might. It's so unpredictable! (LOL) And I even left you with a bit of suspense. (I wonder what will happen next ) Pls R&R anyway!)


	6. The Reviving

A/N: Sorry about the long wait, but for some reason I've lost the enthusiasm to write this. Don't worry, though, I haven't lost the ideas, just the enthusiasm to actually sit down and write it. It shouldn't last long. I will be posting, quickly again soon (if my computer lets me, that is). Besides, I have up to Ch. 9 written I just haven't posted them. Thanks for all the reviews again and please leave one for this chappie!

Disclaimer- I do not own Charlie Bone.

* * *

Emma, Fidelio, Olivia, and Charlie picked up Vanessa's flute, quickly, after she left, before someone found Zelda on the floor and blamed them.

"What should we do about Zelda?" Emma said at last, voicing the question they were all afraid to ask.

"Let's pull her into this empty closet and then figure out how to revive her," Olivia suggested.

No one had any better ideas so, using all their strength, the four friends dragged Zelda to the closet.

"Now how do we get her up?" Olivia asked.

Charlie looked at Fidelio. "When Manfred hypnotized you we poured water on your face and that worked."

"I'll get water, then," Olivia announced. She came back from the bathroom down the hall with a cup full of water and dumped it all over Zelda's head.

"Is she awake?" Emma asked, who was standing behind Fidelio and wasn't tall enough to see over his shoulder.

"No such luck. Should we just go tell Manfred what happened?" Fidelio asked.

"And all get detentions? No way!" Olivia shouted.

"Shh. OK. OK. Well, whatever we do we really better hurry because, for you to anyway," Fidelio nodded at Charlie and Emma, "Manfred's not going to be happy about you being this late, is he?"

Olivia bit her lip in thought. "If only we knew where Vanessa was. I'm sure she would know what to do. After all, she did it."

Charlie and Emma looked at each other and shook their heads. Olivia just didn't know what it was like to be endowed and have something like that happen to you.

"Oh, let's tell Manfred," Emma sighed. "And remember, he _is _a hypnotist- just like Vanessa."

"I guess," Olivia agreed.

"Let's just hope we don't get detentions," Charlie said.

"I'm busy on Saturdays. My mom would be pretty mad if I got a detention," said Fidelio.

"Maybe you two should just go to your homework rooms now," Emma said to Fidelio and Olivia. "You don't want to come to ours anyway."

"Of course I do! I'm coming even if we get detentions," Fidelio promised.

"Besides, I've got a plan," Olivia told them, pulling her electric blue hair back into a ponytail. "If it works, none of us should get detentions. We'll need to pull Zelda back into the hall, though."

They all did as Olivia told them and pulled Zelda out of the closet. "OK," Olivia panted when they managed to move Zelda, again. "Now, show me and Fido the way to the King's room."

"I'll lead," said Emma, and they all followed her.

Once they got to the doors, Olivia took charge. "Just pretend like we've all been running really fast," she told them. "I'll do the rest." She closed her eyes and took a long slow breath. Taking two steps backward, Olivia ran into the doors and shoved them open.

"Manfred, Manfred," she shouted, breathing deeply as if she had just been running. "Zelda's out cold on the second floor. She's hypnotized."

There was a nervous buzz that went around the room. "Did _she_ hypnotize Zelda?" Manfred asked, jumping up. "I mean Vanessa."

Even though the situation wasn't very funny, it was hard for Charlie, Fidelio, or Emma to keep a straight face after seeing Olivia's hilarious expressions.

"Oh, it was awful," she said with a solemn look. "It wasn't Vanessa's fault, though. What Zelda did was horribly mean."

"Asa, come on," Manfred said. "Where is Vanessa?" he asked Olivia.

"In her dormitory, I think."

"No one shall make any noise while I'm gone." Manfred commanded. His and Asa's footsteps could be heard running down the hall.

The four friends burst into a laughing fit once Manfred and Asa were gone.

"See. He didn't even notice Fidelio and I don't belong here," Olivia said.

"That was brilliant, Olivia," Fidelio admitted.

"You know," Dorcas called from across the room, "That wasn't very funny if you just made that up."

"We didn't make it up," Charlie told her. "It's true."

"And," Dorcas continued. "Manfred said not to make noise."

"Then don't make noise," Tancred told her. "If Manfred says he heard us talking, you can blame us." Dorcas sniffed and returned to her work.

"Well, come on," Lysander shouted and pointed to empty seats. "Tell us what happened."

The four friends found chairs by Billy, Gabriel, Lysander and Tancred. They didn't even start telling the other friends about their interesting experience when Olivia said there was one thing Manfred didn't do as she hoped.

"If he'd have thought it through," Olivia said, "he would have noticed, if he needs Vanessa, that she's in her dormitory and he can't go in there himself. He'll need me and Emma to get her."

"Why do we need to get her?" Emma asked.

Olivia shrugged. "If us two go, we can bring Charlie and Fido and sneak away without a detention, I guess."

"Why can't you just call me Fidelio?" Fidelio asked Olivia.

"It's too long. It's easier to just say Fido."

Fidelio was about to say more, but then the doors flew open and Asa came walking in.

He looked at Emma and Olivia. "You're to get Vanessa and send her to the prefects room," he said, smiling maliciously. "Manfred's quite angry so you better hurry." He spun around and ran out of the King's room.

Olivia smiled. "Just as I planned," she muttered.

"You guys aren't leaving us, are you? You didn't even tell us what happened," Gabriel called after Olivia and Emma.

"Sorry, Gabriel," said Emma. "If we all go someone will notice."

"We'll fill you in later," Charlie said, getting up to leave.

Once they were out in the hall again, Charlie asked, "What next?"

"We get Vanessa."

"What will she have to do?" Emma wondered aloud as they walked down the hall. "We should get to see."

We can, but we'd risk detention," Olivia said in an offhand tone. "I don't care if I'm here on Saturday, as long as you three stay with me."

They all looked at her doubtfully. "We should be fine," she added, seeing their faces.

"I'll come," said Fidelio, bravely.

"So will I," Charlie said.

"Me too."

"Alright then, let's get Vanessa," Olivia sang out, breaking into a run.

"Keep your voice down. Someone might hear us," Fidelio hissed.

"Sorry."

Charlie, Fidelio, Olivia, and Emma walked quickly to the senior girl's dormitories. Once they reached the door, Emma spotted Matron farther down the passageway. Luckily she hadn't seem them- yet.

"You two better come on in even though you're not allowed," Emma whispered to Fidelio and Charlie. "If Matron finds you, that's a detention for sure."

Olivia pulled open the door just enough for her to peek her head in. "Do you mind if we come in?" she asked.

"No," said Vanessa's voice. "Come on."

Olivia opened the door the rest of the way and let the others in. Emma put Vanessa's flute case beside the bed she was sitting on.

"Manfred wants you," Charlie told her.

"Does he? Why?"

"Who knows," Fidelio said. "Asa said he's pretty mad."

Vanessa suddenly looked concerned. "He's not mad at me is he?"

Charlie shrugged. "Let's hurry so he doesn't get angrier, though."

"I can't," moaned Vanessa. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. I can't believe I did."

"Anyone would have," Olivia assured her. "What Zelda said was really untrue."

"Just because I'm going to the dance with Manfred, doesn't mean he's my boyfriend," Vanessa cried out, exasperated, sinking back onto the pillows of the bed she was sitting on. "I know what Manfred wants," she added in a harsh voice. "He wants me to do my stupid reviving. That's a good and bad thing about hypnotizing. A hypnotist can revive any victim that only mildly got hypnotized."

"Why can't Manfred do it himself then?" Fidelio asked.

"What do you think he is, the strongest hypnotist ever? That's advanced hypnotism."

"Who's the strongest hypnotist ever?" Charlie asked her, curiously.

"The Hypnotist's Daughter, of course. Didn't you know?" she asked, amazed.

"We didn't and what's the Hypnotist's Daughter?"

Vanessa shifted uneasily on her bed. "Umm, never-mind that," she said.

"Wait," Fidelio said suddenly. "If Manfred can't do it why can you?"

"I'm...I'm more powerful. Well, I guess I better go revive her. Are you four coming?"

"If you don't mind we'd like to see you wake her up," said Emma. "And they're in the prefect's room."

"I don't mind. You can come."

Five students made their way to the prefect's room. Vanessa opened the door and walked across the room to Manfred's desk.

"What are they doing here?" Manfred asked eyeing Charlie and his four friends.

"I let them come," Vanessa told him. Manfred raised his eyebrows suspiciously, but nodded.

"Follow me," he commanded them; they did.

Manfred walked to a door on the side of the prefect's room and wrenched it open. "What did Zelda say to you?" he asked Vanessa, ignoring the other four as he stepped inside the room behind the door.

"Umm, it doesn't really matter," Vanessa shrugged, her face reddening. "She was using that stupid telekinetic stuff."

"Oh," Manfred said, understandingly. He smiled at Vanessa. "She abuses her endowment. There she is." Manfred pointed to Zelda's body lying on the floor.

"Can you revive her?" Vanessa asked. "Or are you not that advanced yet?"

"I can't," Manfred mumbled, turning red. Charlie figured Manfred didn't like to admit he couldn't do something and, Charlie partly wondered if Vanessa liked taunting him with that question.

Vanessa strode over to Zelda, shut her eyes, and exhaled a long breath. She bent down to look into Zelda's eyes. "Hope this works," Vanessa muttered. Not even blinking once, she stared at Zelda's face. Vanessa's mind seemed to have left the room and her eyes had a strange look to them. Everyone, except Manfred, thought her eyes looked a bit disturbing. As the limp body on the floor began to stir, Vanessa took her eyes away and stood up.

"That was brilliant," Manfred said in awe. "You're a wonderful hypnotist."

Vanessa turned pink and shook her head but then shrugged. "Thanks," she said in a bored tone. "Zelda should be fine now. She might be a bit sleepy, though, so send her to Matron or her dormitory or something. I think I'll get going. There's no point in going to the King's room, now." She waved to them. Charlie, Emma, Fidelio, and Olivia followed her out the door and into the hall, so that Manfred couldn't give them detention.

"So, what do we do now?" Charlie asked Vanessa.

Vanessa put a finger to her lips, but then whispered, "It's too late to go to the King's room; let's just head to our dormitories."

She walked off to the girl's floor. Olivia and Emma waved goodbye to Charlie and Fidelio and then followed Vanessa.

"Guess we should go too," Fidelio said. "We can tell Gabriel and Billy about the hypnotism."

Charlie nodded and the two boys walked off in the direction of their dormitory.


End file.
